Department for Transport

Driverless Vehicles

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other countries regarding the development of automated vehicles, including in relation to developing common standards for such vehicles.

Lord Davies of Gower: UK officials actively participate in various international fora to discuss standards for automated vehicles. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations has been developing technical requirements for automated vehicles for over 5 years, and the Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety is considering wider safety implications. The UK is an active participant in both fora, working to drive development of requirements to assure the safety of such vehicles.

Driverless Vehicles

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the devolved administrationsregardingautomated vehicles.

Lord Davies of Gower: We are grateful to officials in the Devolved Administrations for the productive engagement that we have had so far on the Automated Vehicles Bill. The Automated Vehicles Bill implements the recommendations of a four-year review by the Law Commission of England and Wales, and the Scottish Law Commission. In line with legislative processes, we will seek legislative consent from Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru where appropriate. We are keen for Great Britain to share in the benefits of these planned measures and look forward to the support of the Devolved Administrations as this Bill moves through parliamentary passage.

Aviation: Engines

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to investigate, in conjunction with aviation regulators, allegations by Ryanair that a UK-registered company had marketed thousands of engine parts with faked certification documents for Airbus and Boeing models, and what assessment they have made of the implications for air travel safety.

Lord Davies of Gower: This issue is subject to ongoing investigation. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is leading on investigating and addressing the UK aviation safety risks, which are currently deemed to be low.

Aviation: Fuels

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to their policy that by 2030 at least 10 per cent of jet fuel used for commercial flights by UK airlines should be sustainable aviation fuel, what actions they are taking to ensure that such fuel is manufactured in the UK.

Lord Davies of Gower: To ensure we have a resilient sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply system, the Government wants to see a balance of domestic production, imports and exports. Therefore, the SAF mandate will not differentiate between SAF made in the UK and that made overseas. However, we recognise that SAF delivers wider benefits when produced domestically, by providing fuel security, potentially supporting up to 5,200 UK jobs by 2035 and a further 13,600 through global exports, and supporting economic growth. Therefore, we are kickstarting a domestic SAF industry by allocating over £135m for UK SAF production facilities through the Advanced Fuels Fund and committing to design and implement a revenue certainty mechanism to support investment in SAF production.

Cars: Sales

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impactson consumer and investor confidence of the delay to the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) mandate will support the delivery of the 2035 phase out dates and remains one of the most ambitious regulatory frameworks in the world. It will secure adequate supply of ZEVs to support continued consumer uptake of these vehicles. The ZEV mandate also provides long term policy certainty to industry, generating inward investment in the automotive and chargepoint sectors. This is demonstrated in the scale of investment from the private sector. Over the last few years there has been over £6 billion private investment in the electric vehicle industry, including from Tata, BMW, Stellantis and Nissan. In addition, the UK chargepoint industry has committed £6 billion in the development and operation of chargepoints before 2030.

Home Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the support available to victims of Northern Ireland-related acts of terrorism in mainland Great Britain.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: This Government is determined to make sure that victims of terrorism receive the support they deserve. Victims of terrorism in Great Britain are provided with practical and emotional support from specialist service providers, enabling them to cope with the immediate impact of a terrorist attack and to recover from the longer-term consequences. Further details on the range of support available can be found at https://victimsofterrorism.campaign.gov.uk/The Victims and Survivors Service (VSS) in Northern Ireland, in collaboration with community-based partner organisations, provides a broad range of support and services to victims of the Troubles. Some of this support, which includes heath, wellbeing, and advocacy services, is available to victims in Great Britain. The South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) provide access to fully qualified counsellors, complementary therapies, and other health and wellbeing services. Further information can be found on their website: https://seff.org.uk/gb-project

Drugs: Misuse

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase access to (1) drug testing, and (2) overdose prevention centres, to reduce drug related deaths.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Those wishing to offer drug testing or checking services can do so provided that any possession and supply of controlled drugs is licensed by the Home Office or, exceptionally, relevant exemptions under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 apply. Ministers are clear that any type of drug checking service must not condone drug use and should only be delivered where licensed and operated responsibly in line with Government policy to ensure that they discourage drug use and signpost potential users to treatment and support. We welcome potential applicants who wish to apply for a licence and who share these principles. The UK Government does not support drug consumption rooms, sometimes referred to as overdose prevention centres. We have been clear that we have concerns about the potential for these facilities to appear to condone drug use and to encourage the continued illicit supply of drugs and they will not be introduced in England and Wales. I am aware of the Lord Advocate’s statement that in her view it would not be in the public interest to prosecute users for simple drug possession offences in relation to a pilot drug consumption room in Glasgow. While our concerns remain, the UK Government will not interfere with, or seek to impede, the lawfully exercised prosecutorial independence of the Lord Advocate. Increased drug testing in custody is a further way in which testing is being supported. The Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA) expansion project is a key deliverable in the 10-year Drug Strategy to help tackle drug-related offending. The primary aim of this project is expansion, both in the number of police forces delivering DToA and the overall increase in volume of tests carried out.Year 1 of the DToA project (FY22-23) saw an increase in the number of police forces accepting Home Office funding to set-up or expand DToA operations, and an increase in the number of forces reporting data to the Home Office, with recent programme data published on GOV.UK. Year 2 of the programme is underway, and the Home Office has appointed an external evaluator to consider the impacts of the project.The legislative expansion of DToA is also progressing well, following the publication of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan in March 2023. In August, police were given the power to test for all Class A drugs. Further legislation will enable specified Class B and C drugs to be tested for and will extend the list of ‘trigger’ offences that make drug testing more accessible to officers to deploy. These changes will also enable the police to refer more individuals to treatment and support services.

Delivery Services: Children and Undocumented Workers

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Offord of Garvel on 28 November (HL427), whether they have assessed how many(1) underage children, and (2) illegal workers, have been working as delivery riders; and if so, how many of each there were in(a) 2021, and (b) 2022.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office does not hold this information.

Legislation: Reviews

Lord Norton of Louth: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans the Home Office has to undertake post-legislative review of (1) the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, (2) the Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Act 2019, (3) the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, (4) the Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Act 2020, (5) the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020, and (6) the Windrush Compensation Scheme (Expenditure) Act 2020, in line with the policy of reviewing Acts three to five years after enactment.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: We continue to review all aspects of the Compensation Scheme, listening and responding to feedback received from stakeholders and customers to ensure the Scheme is operating effectively for those affected. The Windrush Compensation Scheme will also undertake a review in October 2024, in line with the published Impact Assessment.The Compensation Scheme has no end date and there is no cap on the number of claims we will accept or the amount of compensation we will pay out.There is no planned timetable for post legislative scrutiny of the other bills mentioned in the question.

Press Freedom

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the circumstances in which journalists may lawfully be prevented from attending peaceful public events by (1) the police, and (2) the event organisers.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government is clear that the role of members of the press must be respected. It is vital that journalists are able to do their job freely and without restriction.Section 17 of the Public Order Act 2023 sets out that the police may not exercise their powers for the sole purpose of preventing a person from observing or reporting on a protest.However, this does not prevent the police from using their powers, such as the power of arrest, for other purposes, for example to maintain public order and safety.The use of police powers is an operational matter for the police. The Government is unable to intervene in operational decisions of this nature. To do so would undermine their operational independence.In most cases, event organisers cannot exclude individuals from freely accessing public spaces.

Police: Recruitment

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current levels of police recruitment in England and Wales.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The government has delivered its manifesto commitment to deliver 20,000 additional officers. At the end of March 2023, we had the highest number of officers on record in England and Wales, with 149,566 officers in post surpassing the previous peak of 146,030 officers in post in March 2010. We expect police forces to maintain officer numbers and Chief Constables will be held to account for ensuring that officer numbers continue to match. The next available data on officer numbers will be published as part of the Police Workforce Statistics for England and Wales on 24 January 2024.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Baroness Smith of Newnham: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent change in their policy regarding the cap on the number of Afghans eligible to come to the UK under Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, what plans they have to charter planes to allow those to leave Pakistan and arrive in the UK via a safe route.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will see up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan and the region resettled to the UK over the coming years. Flights for those being resettled under the ACRS are organised by the International Organisation for Migration, in line with requests from the Home Office. As flights are operational you will appreciate, we cannot go into operational details.We will continue to honour our commitment to bring eligible Afghans to the UK, with new arrivals going directly into settled accommodation where possible.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Illness: Gambling

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had about processes for supporting patients presenting at GP surgeries with mental health issues related to potential gambling habits.

Lord Markham: Primary care services play an important role in supporting people with mental health conditions, including in helping them to access the most appropriate services for their needs.As set out in the NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan, 15 new National Health Service specialist problem gambling clinics will be opened by March 2024. This will include piloting provision for children under 18 years old. Twelve of these clinics are already operational with the remaining three expected to open by the end of the year. Through the clinics, representing every region of England, the NHS will be able to treat up to 3,000 people experiencing gambling-related harm each year.In April 2023, the Government published its white paper, High Stakes – gambling reform for the digital age. This announced the introduction of a statutory levy on gambling operators to fund research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms. Once operational, the levy will help to expand and improve existing treatment and support service to ensure those in need are able to access the right care at the right time. A copy of the white paper is attached.Attachment (pdf, 3928.8KB)

Autism: Diagnosis

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve early diagnosis and support for individuals with autism, particularly in educational and healthcare settings.

Lord Markham: The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Education to ensure that children and young people with Special Educational Need and Disability (SEND), including autistic children, receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time. We are doing this through working together to implement the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, which was published 2 March 2023 In 2023/24, £4.2 million is available to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services, pre and post diagnostic support, and the continuation of the Autism in Schools programme On 22 November 2023, we announced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme. This new programme, backed by £13m of investment, is a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and NHS England. It will bring together ICBs, local authorities, and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodiverse children, including autistic children. The programme is expected to reach around 10% of mainstream primary schools. It will be evaluated, and learning will be used to inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.

Psychiatric Hospitals: Autism

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect that the number of people with autism detained in mental health hospitals will have reduced by 50 per cent by March 2024.

Lord Markham: We have made significant progress towards reducing the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people in inpatient mental health settings. For people who have a learning disability and who do not have an autism diagnosis, the data shows that has been a 57% reduction in the number of people in hospital since March 2015. For people who have both a learning disability and autism diagnosis, there has been a 33% reduction in the number of people in hospital since March 2015. However, the number of people with an autism diagnosis, who do not have a learning disability, in hospital inpatient settings has increased significantly over the same period. As such, we know there is more to do. This is why we are investing an additional £121 million in 2023/24 to improve community support as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, including funding for Children and Young People’s keyworkers. In addition to this, all Integrated Care Boards should have an executive lead on learning disability and autism to increase local oversight and expertise in commissioning, and NHS England has published updated policy and guidance on Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews and Dynamic Support Registers to help ensure people get the right support to stay well in their communities.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the potential of (1) a new national clinical director, and (2) new targets, to improve gastroenterology services.

Lord Markham: National Clinical Director (NCD) posts within NHS England are aligned with its major clinical programmes of work, which in turn are aligned with the NHS Long Term Plan. NHS England keeps consideration of which areas would benefit from an NCD under review, and new NCDs are appointed as necessary.The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has invested in clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which is one of its priority workstreams. The programme will be establishing a liver disease programme in 2024/25, including recruiting to a clinical lead role.A NCD provides clinical advice and leadership on the NHS England Internal Medicine Specialised Services portfolio, which includes specialised gastroenterology and liver disease. Additionally, a National Speciality Advisor provides clinical advice more specifically to the hepatobiliary and pancreas programme.NHS England already has work in place to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and care of those with gastroenterological conditions. Through its GIRFT programme, NHS England is aiming to reduce unwarranted variation in treatments and services though in-depth review of services, benchmarking and presenting a data-driven evidence base to support change.The GIRFT specialty report on gastroenterology, published in September 2021, sets out actions and recommendations for the National Health Service to improve patient care and ensure consistency of care across the country. The Department and NHS England expect National Health Service trusts and clinical teams to consider how best they can implement these recommendations to ensure consistent and high-quality care for gastroenterological conditions.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Medical Treatments

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compliance by NHS commissioning bodies with the NICE technology appraisal in respect of biologic therapies for patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Lord Markham: We have made no such assessment. Commissioners have a statutory responsibility to make funding available for a drug or treatment recommended by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisals Programme within 90 days of publication of guidance, unless specified in the guidance.Compliance with this statutory responsibility is achieved when a patient, after discussion with their clinician can choose a NICE recommended treatment without any local funding or formulary restrictions.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to ensure that there is parity between care provided by gastroenterology services and other disease areas on (1) diagnosis, (2) treatment, and (3) outcomes.

Lord Markham: Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning health services in England, based on the clinical needs of their local populations.Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is a national programme designed to improve the treatment and care of patients. The programme undertakes clinically-led reviews of medical and surgical specialties, combining wide-ranging data analysis and benchmarking, to improve patient care and ensure consistency of care across the country.The GIRFT specialty report on gastroenterology, published in September 2021, sets out actions and recommendations for the National Health Service to improve patient care and ensure consistency of care across the country. The Department and NHS England expect NHS trusts and clinical teams to consider how best they can implement these recommendations to ensure consistent and high-quality care for gastroenterological conditions.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government how they measure the adequacy and efficacy of data collection on waiting times for gastroenterology services.

Lord Markham: Referral to Treatment waiting times data is a National Statistic with gastroenterology recorded as a specific category in the data. The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics:- meet identified user needs;- are well explained and readily accessible;- are produced according to sound methods; and- are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest.Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is a statutory requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the possibility and potential of implementing routine assessments into the prevalence and geographic and socioeconomic disparities of people with (1) Crohn’s disease, and (2) ulcerative colitis to inform healthcare investment and planning decisions.

Lord Markham: Information is already collected on a range of bowel conditions, including Hospital Episode Statistics, through the Model Health System, and data from the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. These support clinicians and commissioners plan and prioritise care for people with bowel conditions, considering health disparities and patient needs.

Osteoporosis: Screening

Baroness Altmann: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to prioritise early detection of osteoporosis in older adults, especially women, and to enhance the timely diagnosis and treatment of people with osteoporosis, following ministerial commitments to do so.

Lord Markham: On 24 January 2023, we announced our plan to publish the Major Conditions Strategy. The Strategy will focus on six major groups of conditions, including musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders such as osteoporosis.We have now published our initial report ‘Major conditions strategy: case for change and our strategic framework’, which is available on GOV.UK in an online-only format. It sets out what we have learned so far, and shares what we plan to focus on next to develop the final strategy.For MSK conditions, it sets out that we will look to aim to improve services where medical treatment is necessary. Together with NHS England, we will explore supporting the further provision of fracture liaison services. This could include identifying people at risk of further osteoporotic fragility fracture and implementing strategies to reduce the risk of future fracture, including falls, and mortality.

Fractures: Health Services

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Evans of Rainow on 14 September (HL Debate, col 241GC), why the “package of prioritised measures to expand the provision of fracture liaison services and improve their current quality” was not mentioned in the Autumn Statement.

Lord Markham: The Noble Lord's letter of 15 September 2023 following the debate confirmed the position that the Government would continue to consider options for further work to support those with osteoporosis and at risk of fractures, including working together with NHS England to explore supporting the provision of fracture liaison services (FLS). A copy of this letter was placed in the House library. FLS are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs) which are well placed to make decisions according to local need. NHS England is also supporting requests from health systems to introduce FLS and other secondary fracture prevention services, including through the Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme.On 24 January 2023, we announced our plan to publish the Major Conditions Strategy. This strategy will explore how we can tackle the key drivers of ill-health in England, reduce pressure on the National Health Service and reduce ill-health related labour market inactivity. The Strategy will focus on six major groups of conditions including musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoporosis.

Department for Business and Trade

Retail Trade: Inflation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to support retailers in continuing the downward path of inflation.

Lord Offord of Garvel: In his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced a business rates support package worth £4.3 billion over the next five years to support small businesses and the high street.  The small business multiplier will be frozen for a fourth consecutive year, and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief will be extended, ensuring the most vulnerable businesses continue to be supported. HM Treasury estimates also suggest that making full expensing permanent will benefit the retail sector by around £1 billion per year. Government is committed to using our post-Brexit freedoms to help businesses expand, create more jobs and grow the UK economy. We have already secured trade deals with 73 countries, plus the EU, that accounted for £1.1 trillion of UK bilateral trade last year. We are focused on priority trade barriers, which could boost UK exports by around £20 billion over five years.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate knowledge transfer between academia and the automotive industry to integrate artificial intelligence into mainstream vehicle manufacturing.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: 1000 jobs were announced at the Summit and work is now underway to deliver a strong legacy from it, with more investments expected as a result, including follow up activity such as the No. 10 hosted venture capital roundtable, aimed at encouraging venture capital investment into Northern Ireland. We also offered support for Joe Kennedy III’s incoming mission to Northern Ireland in October 2023 (US Special Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland).

Foreign Investment in UK: Northern Ireland

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what tangible outcomes have resulted from the Northern Ireland Investment Summit in Belfast on 12–13 September.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: 1000 jobs were announced at the Summit and work is now underway to deliver a strong legacy from it, with more investments expected as a result, including follow up activity such as the No. 10 hosted venture capital roundtable, aimed at encouraging venture capital investment into Northern Ireland. We also offered support for Joe Kennedy III’s incoming mission to Northern Ireland in October 2023 (US Special Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland).

Trade Agreements

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the UK’s post-Brexit trade deals with key international partners and the economic benefits that are expected to flow from these agreements.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: We have secured trade deals with 73 countries plus the EU since Brexit, partners that accounted for £1.1 trillion of UK bilateral trade in 2022.The government publishes analysis to assess the potential impacts of new Free Trade Agreements in advance of negotiations and publishes final impact assessments once the negotiations have concluded. These assessments set out the potential economic impact of the Free Trade Agreements and are available on Gov.UK.The government publishes analysis that is proportionate to the scope of negotiations and the agreement’s likely impact.

Living Wage

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage employers to pay their employees a real living wage in light of the finding in the report, UK Poverty 2023, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on 26 January, that 11 per cent of all destitute respondents are in paid work.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The Government has accepted the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission to increase the National Living Wage to £11.44 an hour for workers aged 21 and over in April 2024 - meeting the manifesto target of two thirds of median earnings and ending low hourly pay for this group. National Minimum Wage rates for younger workers and apprentices will also increase significantly.We commend employers who can pay more than the statutory minimum rates, but recognise that the ability to do so varies. The LPC takes into account affordability for business and the wider impact on the economy.

Ministry of Defence

Afghanistan: Refugees

Baroness Smith of Newnham: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of Afghans eligible to come to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy who are currently (1) still in Afghanistan, or (2) in Pakistan.

The Earl of Minto: As of 30 November 2023, there are around 2,991 confirmed ARAP Eligible Principals (EPs) and their family members in Afghanistan, and 2,047 in Pakistan.These figures fluctuate as we continue to identify eligible individuals. We are committed to support the relocation of eligible Afghans and their families out of Afghanistan and Pakistan as quickly as possible. To date we have brought approximately 13,600 to safety in the UK under the ARAP scheme.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Baroness Smith of Newnham: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role played by the Afghan Territorial Force (ATF) 444 in supporting UK Forces, and whether ATF personnel should be eligible to come to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

The Earl of Minto: I refer the noble Lady to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Armed Forces (James Heappey), in the House of Commons on 30 November to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Ms Alison Thewliss) in response to Question 3862.Afghanistan: Refugees (docx, 23.8KB)

Afghanistan: Refugees

Baroness Smith of Newnham: To ask His Majesty's Government how many Afghans and their families have come to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy in the last two months, and how many they expect to arrive before 31 December.

The Earl of Minto: Over 1,500 ARAP Eligible Principals (EPs) and their family members have been relocated in the past two months. Many factors govern the flow of relocation, but we are endeavouring to bring as many eligible Afghans as possible to the UK, as quickly as possible.

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of mental health services available for Armed Forces across the UK; and whether they plan to make further changes.

The Earl of Minto: All Service personnel have access to mental health support throughout their career, including medical and non-medical services. This includes, but is not limited to, preventative support such as wellbeing services, digital content, access to trained mental health first aiders, interventional support, and appointments with clinical staff. For Armed Forces personnel requiring mental healthcare, the Defence Medical Services (DMS) provides a responsive, flexible, accessible, and comprehensive treatment service. This is available in the UK and overseas firm base (non-deployed, permanent locations) and on operations as required. The Defence Mental Health Service (DMHS) supports the provision of mental healthcare that is available through Primary Care facilities and is configured to provide community-based mental health care in line with national best practice. Work is ongoing within DMS to reshape mental health provision to reduce waiting lists and support patients by providing fully integrated, safe, effective, and efficient mental healthcare.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Afghanistan: Refugees

Baroness Smith of Newnham: To ask His Majesty's Government what advice they are giving to those eligible to come to the UK under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy who are currently in Pakistan and whose visas have expired or will shortly expire.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have received verbal assurances from the Government of Pakistan that Afghans supported in Pakistan under UK resettlement schemes will remain safe while they await relocation to the UK. We have suggested that eligible families take sensible precautions including when outside of their accommodation. We have also made them aware of how to respond if approached by the police, including providing contact details for the International Organization for Migration (IOM)/British High Commission. We have distributed letters to every eligible family to help ensure the Government of Pakistan are aware those individuals are under our protection.

Greece: Turkey

Lord Stone of Blackheath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for recognising the actions by the Young Turk and Kemalist regimes against Pontic Greeks between 1914 and 1923 as a genocide.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK's longstanding position is that determining whether a situation amounts to genocide is an issue for competent national and international courts after consideration of all of the available evidence, rather than a decision by Governments or non-judicial parties. For this reason, the UK has not made an assessment of this case.

Intelligence Services: National Security

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe effectiveness of UK intelligence services' overseas operations in addressing security threats to the UK; and what steps they will take to further enhance intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is a long standing policy of successive British Governments that we do not comment on intelligence matters. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament has statutory oversight of the UK Intelligence Community, they oversee and report on the policy, expenditure and administration of the UK Intelligence Community. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the UK Intelligence Community for their continued work in keeping the UK safe.

Pakistan: Development Aid

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what specific mechanisms are in place within UK Aid Direct to ensure that UK aid is distributed in an equitable manner to organisations that offer aid to minority religious communities in Pakistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We prioritise our aid to achieve maximum impact for the people of Pakistan in line with our strategic priorities, including promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). The UK Aid Direct programme is now closed. When operational, it funded the Coalition for Religious Equity and Inclusive Development (CREID) project in Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, which worked to reduce religious inequalities. In addition, it funded projects supporting faith and community leaders to form networks championing FoRB in Pakistan. The UK Government continues to fund projects with local Pakistani organisations to empower minority religious communities and to tackle online hate-speech.

Refugees: Education

Lord German: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mobilise funding to support the education of refugees in low and middle income host countries.

Lord Benyon: As set out in the recent Development White Paper, the UK continues to support education for refugee children through our work in emergencies and protracted crises, with our support through Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education. This includes support for the implementation of the UNHCR-UNICEF Blueprint for Joint Action for Refugee Children. Working with a number of partners, we will also be announcing further support for inclusive refugee education at the Global Refugee Forum.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Derelict Land: Property Development

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what is thetotal amount of hectares of uncontaminated brownfield sites in England suitable for house building.

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total amount of hectares of contaminated brownfield sites.

Baroness Penn: The figures requested are not held centrally. Brownfield Land Registers (BLRs) are currently the best resource for the amount of brownfield sites in a local authority area that are suitable for housing, irrespective of their planning status.National planning policy expects local planning authorities to give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements; including by supporting appropriate opportunities to remediate despoiled, degraded, derelict, contaminated or unstable land.

Cabinet Office

Caledonian Modular

Lord Stunell: To ask His Majesty's Government which Government-funded construction projects had been awarded to Caledonian Modular prior to its collapse in March, including, for each project, the awarding department, the contract value, and the anticipated costs of remediation of defective work.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Cabinet Office does not centrally hold commercial information on Government-funded construction projects. Individual departments manage and procure their own contracts. The Cabinet Office can confirm that no contracts with Caledonian Modular were held with the Cabinet Office prior to its collapse in March 2022.

Department for Education

Pupils: Transgender People

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byBaroness Barran on 1 August and 26 October (HL9074 and HL10579), what is the latest dateby which they will publish their draft guidance on whether teachers may refer to pupils by theirlegal and biological gender.

Baroness Barran: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been working closely with the Minister for Women and Equalities on guidance for schools and colleges when a child is questioning their gender. It is vital that the guidance the department publishes gives clarity for schools and colleges and reassurance for parents, so the department made the decision to allow more time to ensure this guidance meets the high expectations that these groups rightly have for it. The department will publish draft guidance for public consultation shortly.

Family Hubs: Finance

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the 75 local authorities eligible for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme received part of the £50 million allocated for parenting support, and how this funding was broken down across those family hubs.

Baroness Barran: The funding package for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is for all 75 local authorities. The published funding methodology can be found attached. This publication sets out how each local authority received their funding allocation. For parenting support, each local authority will receive up to £250,000 across the three-year programme duration. Published funding methodology (pdf, 125.7KB)

Pupils: Protest

Lord Austin of Dudley: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Ofsted about schools allowing pupils to be absent to attend protest marches, what assessments Ofsted and schools should make of safeguarding issues arising from pupils being allowed to attend such events, and what advice the Department for Education is planning to issueto schools in this regard.

Baroness Barran: The government is clear that missing school for events such as political protests is unacceptable and should not be condoned. The department has been monitoring events closely and has written to all schools and local authorities supporting leaders and teachers in taking firm action. The department encourages schools and local authorities to set clear expectations to parents on attendance, confirming that absence for this kind of activity should be treated as unauthorised. The department has been clear that school leaders and local authorities should be enforcing attendance policies, and they should take immediate action where these policies have been breached. In the most egregious cases this can mean fines or prosecution. The department has shared this communication with Ofsted to ensure all inspectors are clear on the position.

Family Hubs: Finance

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the 75 local authorities eligible for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme received part of the £81.75 million allocated for creating family hub networks, and how this funding was broken down across those hubs.

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the 75 local authorities eligible for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme received part of the £81.75 million allocated for creating family hub networks, and how this funding was broken down across those hubs.

Baroness Barran: The funding package for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is for all 75 local authorities. The published funding methodology can be found attached. This publication sets out how each local authority received their funding allocation. Each local authority will receive up to £500,00 across the three-year programme duration to transform their Family hubs services into a Family Hub model.Published funding methodology (pdf, 125.7KB)

Teaching Regulation Agency

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Barran on 26 October (HL10580),who sits on the seniorleadership team and executiveboard of the Teaching Regulation Agency.

Baroness Barran: The Teaching Regulation Agency’s (TRA) Senior Leadership Team (SLT) sit on the TRA Executive Board. The TRA SLT includes: Chief Executive, Marc Cavey; Head of Teacher Misconduct, Sarah Buxcey; and Head of Teacher Qualifications, David Oatley. As previously stated, an independent Professional Conduct Panel will make a recommendation to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, on whether to prohibit an individual from teaching. Following the recommendation, the decision to impose a prohibition order is taken by a member of the TRA SLT, on behalf of the Secretary of State. Individual cases and decisions are not discussed at the TRA Executive Board.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in determining whether suicide and self-harm prevention will be included in their guidance on relationships, sex and health education as an explicit part of the curriculum, in particular to support young people to spot the signs of, and seek appropriate support for, cases of suicidal ideation.

Baroness Barran: ​The department is currently reviewing the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance. In July 2023, as part of the review, the department held a workshop with teachers. The former Minister for Schools also chaired roundtable meetings with a panel of experts and with families to explore the inclusion of suicide prevention in the curriculum. The department will publish an amended draft of the statutory guidance for consultation at the earliest opportunity. The department will consider responses carefully before publishing the final revised guidance in 2024.

National Tutoring Programme

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of the National Tutoring Programme; and what plans they have for that programme after August 2024.

Baroness Barran: There is extensive evidence that tutoring is one of the most effective ways to accelerate academic progress. The department has evaluated the delivery and impact of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) through a series of independent evaluations, which are available online. The year 2 impact evaluation identified small improvements in key stage 2 and key stage 4 mathematics, which can be equated to one month’s worth of additional progress, for the School Led Tutoring route. The year 3 implementation and process evaluation also found there was a positive perceived impact on pupils’ attainment, progress, and confidence, and that the NTP was perceived to help narrow the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils. The department is committed to the objective that tutoring should be embedded across schools from 2024 with schools using their core budgets, including pupil premium, to provide targeted support to students who will benefit.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Broadband: Social Tariffs

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase their promotion of social tariffs in areas of deprivation in the light of the finding that many older people are unaware of social tariffs, particularly in the broadband sector, in the report A constant struggle: The impact of high household costs on older people facing financial hardship, published by Independent Age in September.

Viscount Camrose: The Government has worked closely with internet service providers to ensure provision of social tariffs for those on Universal Credit and other means tested benefits – including Pension Credit. Ofcom’s latest Affordability Report shows awareness of social tariffs amongst eligible groups has increased from 16% in February 2022, to 47% in April 2023. The Government recognises more is needed to ensure eligible households know about the support available and continues to work closely with operators, charities, and consumer groups to raise awareness of social tariffs. In July, Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, wrote to the sector to set out the regulator’s expectation that they should do more to promote awareness, such as by highlighting tariffs on bills and end-of-contract notifications. We continue to work closely with Ofcom to monitor public awareness of social tariffs as well as the other barriers to take up.

Department for Work and Pensions

Access to Work Programme

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government why autism is defined as a disability in some application forms for help from the Access to Work scheme and not in other cases.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: To apply for Access to Work customers must complete an application either online or over the phone. The application is the same no matter how they complete it. Customers are asked to describe their condition in their own words and how it impacts their work. The application form does not list or ask about any specific conditions. This supports the principle that Access to Work is tailored to each customer’s disability and support need.

Ministry of Justice

Legislation: Reviews

Lord Norton of Louth: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans the Ministry of Justice has to undertake post-legislative review of (1) the Civil Liability Act 2018, (2) the Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Act 2018, (3) the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, (4) the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, (5) the Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Act 2020, (6) the Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Act 2020, (7) the Sentencing Act 2020, and (8) the Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act 2020, in line with the policy of reviewing Acts three to five years after enactment

Lord Bellamy: All bills that have reached Royal Assent are eligible for post-legislative scrutiny three to five years after they are enacted. Post-legislative scrutiny memoranda have been published on GOV.UK where bills have undergone the process. In addition, the Lords Special Inquiry Committee appointed to carry out post-legislative scrutiny on specific Acts publishes information on its inquiries on parliament.uk.It is also important to note that post-legislative scrutiny is not the only way policy is reviewed. Many Acts have built-in statutory review mechanisms and consultations have also been launched. This has the effect of providing opportunities for the legislation to be reviewed and assessed without requiring post-legislative scrutiny. There is no planned timetable for post-legislative scrutiny of the Acts mentioned in this question.

Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs

Lord Gold: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on access to third-party litigation funding of the Supreme Court’s judgment in R (on the application of PACCAR Inc and others) (Appellants) v Competition Appeal Tribunal and others (Respondents) [2023] UKSC 28.

Lord Bellamy: A Government amendment to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill seeks to mitigate the impact of the judgment on litigation funding agreements for opt-out collective proceedings in the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT). The Bill is currently being considered by Parliament. The Government is assessing the impact of the judgment and considering options for non-CAT proceedings.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Russia: Nuclear Fuels

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they haveto (1) sanction, and (2) ban, the use of Russian nuclear fuel products, including mined uranium, uranium conversion, uranium enrichment, and nuclear fuel.

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the yearly revenue earned by Russian state-owned entities from the sale of nuclear fuel products to (1) EU countries, (2) NATO countries, (3) Japan, and (4) the Republic of Korea.

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the EU, (2) NATO, (3) Japan, and (4) the Republic of Korea, about terminating contracts with Russian state-owned entities for provision of nuclear products.

Lord Callanan: In the June 2022 Group of Seven Leaders’ Communique, the Government joined with G7 partners to state our collective intent to reduce reliance on civil nuclear and related goods from Russia, including working to assist countries seeking to diversify their nuclear fuel supply chains. To this end, the Government has led discussions within the ‘Sapporo 5’ group of nuclear energy leaders Canada, France, Japan, and the United States to identify potential areas of collaboration on nuclear fuels, with the goal of reduced global dependence on Russian supply chains. UK regularly raises the topic of dependency on Russia for civil nuclear goods and materials with likeminded international partners and supports efforts to diversify.